The Pagbubunyi Festival Celebration in Bataan

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Celebrated every second day of May, the festival reenacts Queen Helena’s and her son Constantine’s quest for the cross of Jesus Christ. Reaed More: http://www.bataantourism.com/festivals.php?id=5

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The Santacruzan Season has already started! Here in Limay, the Santacruzan is quite extra-ordinary, and it’s called “Pagbubunyi”. It’s a yearly event organized by the Limay Tourism Council.

What makes it different from the rest is that it literally dramatizes how the Santacruzan originated more than 1600 years ago, in celebration of the triumph of Constantine the Great, the first Christian Roman Emperor, and his mother Helena in the search of the Holy Cross. It begins with a play that starts at the municipal grounds and ends with a battle for the Holy Cross at the market grounds.

After the play, the procession begins with Roman flag bearers and soldiers with Constantine on a chariot. Then followed by muslim captives of Constantine. The procession also includes Roman gods and demi-gods of Roman Mythology, which was their religion before Constantine converted the Roman Empire to Christianity. Then followed by Biblical and symbolic characters like Methuselah, San Macario, Samaritana, Veronica, Reyna Infante and Judith (with the head of one of her adversaries), Reyna Sheba, Reyna Esther, Reyna Baderada, Reyna Justicia, Reyna delos Angeles, Reyna del Mar, Reyna dela Paz, Reyna del Sol, and Reyna delos Flores, ( I hope I did not miss one) all with complete costumes. Even the arch bearers have their own costumes. At the end is Reyna Emperatriz (Constantine’s Wife), Reyna Elena, and finally the carriage of the replica of the Holy Cross. Read More: http://joeygeronimo.blogspot.com/2010/05/ang-pagbubunyi-2010.html

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